Author: Matthew Scoggins
Grade Level: 9th
Course: Physical science
Purpose/overview of Unit:
The purpose of this unit plan is to introduce students to the different kinds of waves. In this unit I think the key to starting off, is assessing my students prior knowledge, keeping close attention for misconception. I think that students will likely have a lot of misconceptions on this topic, mainly because I had many myself until I took an oceanography course. Fortunately, that course will serve me well through the 2 week, 10 class unit. I also think that when students realize they are surrounded by waves all day everyday, I should be able to spark some curiosity and interest in learning about this topic.
I will take students through waves by beginning with basics about waves, moving to their characteristics, and finishing with wave interacting. This way students can be warned about their misconceptions, and learn waves from the bottom up. This unit also lends itself to a wide variety of demonstrations and labs, which should provide the visually appealing, hands on work, and opportunities for inquiry lessons that will keep them interested through the entire unit.
Learning Performances and Standards:
PS3 (9-11) SAE –10 Explain the effects on wavelength and frequency as
electromagnetic waves interact with matter (e.g., light diffraction, blue sky).
Standard
10a. investigating examples of wave phenomena (e.g. ripples in water, sound waves, seismic waves).
Sub-topic:
What is a wave?
What types of waves exist?
How do these waves affect us?
Water waves
Sound
Seismic waves
Light
Prior knowledge:
What is a wave?
Misconceptions:
Sound waves are transverse waves (like water and light waves)
Matter moves along with water waves as the waves move through a body of water.
Learning objectives:
Students will be able to identify what a wave’s frequency, wavelength, amplitude, and velocity.
Standard:
10b comparing and contrasting electromagnetic waves to mechanical waves.
Sub-topic:
What is a medium?
What is an electric feild?
What is a magnetic feild?
What is an electron?
Prior knowledge :
What is/characteristics of a mechanical wave?
What is/characteristics of an electromagnetic wave?
Misconceptions:
Sounds can travel through empty space (a vacuum).
Sounds cannot travel through liquids and solids.
Learning objectives:
Students will be able to use difference and similarities of electromagnetic waves and mechanical waves to classify a wave.
Standard:
10c qualifying the relationship between frequency and wavelength of any wave.
Sub-topics:
What are some wave characteristics?
amplitude
trough
crest
velocity
How are these characteristics related?
Prior knowledge :
What does frequency mean?
What does wavelength mean?
How are they related?
Misconceptions:
Light is associated only with a source and/or its instantaneous effects. Light is not considered to exist independently in space. Light is not conceived as moving from one point to another with a finite speed.
Light from a bulb only extends outward a certain distance and then stops. How far it extends depends on the brightness of the bulb.
Learning objectives: Students will be able to predict either frequency or wavelength of any wave when given the frequency or wavelength.
Lesson Sequence: Lesson 1 - Introduction/ What is a wave? Lesson 2 - Kinds of waves Lesson 3 - Kinds of waves (cont') Lesson 4 - Wave characteristics Lesson 5 - Wave speed/ Doppler Effect Lesson 6 - Pre-Lab Lesson 7 - Lab (inquiry) Lesson 8 - Wave behavior, reflection, diffraction, and refraction Lesson 9 - Interference/Review Lesson 10- Test
Assessment Plan:
I will begin the unit by assessing the students prior knowledge, with a short pre-test, that the class will go over right after taking it. I will specify formative assessment for each lesson plan in the text of each lesson plan. Students will formatively be assessed during their labs as well as with a lab report artifact to be graded with a rubric. Finally students will be tested at the end of the unit for summative assessment.
Rationale:
For this unit on waves, I will make the topic meaningful to students by pointing out the waves in everyday life. Without waves the students would not be able to see or hear anything. This should spark some interest, but I will back this up with a beach theme to make the unit seam fun. I plan on giving students lots of fun facts they can share with their families and friends on their next trip to the beach. This will motivate students to take in all they can learn about real life science, so that they can share this information with others. The students will be engaging in an inquiry lab, where they will be asked to find a way to solve a greater problem. Rather than give the students a procedure, they will be given a problem, and they will asked to think of their own procedure to solve the problem. This will foster strategic thinking on their part. Students will be assessed formatively at the very beginning to assess their prior knowledge and misconception. A short pre-quiz will be administered and the class will share-out their answers. Students will be assessed formatively durring their lab, and will create a lab report to be graded with a rubric. There will be a summative assessment, in the form of a test at the end of the unit. The unit sequence begins by dispelling misconception and building new concepts on prior knowledge. There will likely be some “un-teaching” as there are many misconception about waves, but once that is done students will start with basic smaller ideas and build onto more and more complex ideas. The use of formative assessment throughout, will ensure students are grasping the material. Students will do mini-labs and see a few demos to help them make sense of the materials. There are a number of demos for just about every vocab word in the unit. I will use these to help demonstrate an abstract idea, so that students are not only told what an idea is and how it works, but they can also see the concept to help solidify their understanding. These are also opportunities for students to realize that they might not fully understand an idea that they thought they had down, so they can then ask questions and the misconceptions can be dispelled. Each lesson has a distinct learning goal, weather it is for students to be able to define a word, or design a way to solve a problem. Each day at the being of class students will be asked to take a their ideas from yesterday, and work them in a new direction. This will encourage their thinking about the topic and make it an easy transition from day to day, and make it clear that all of the topics are related and build upon each other. Each day students will get real life examples about how waves are part of their every day lives. These may be as abstract as in the case that constructive interference can improve speaker sound quality, or as every day as in why does a siren sound different if its coming when compared to when its going. Real life application, daily hands on activities, and breif note taking sessions peppered with daily life examples will keep students interested and wanting to know more.
Author: Matthew Scoggins
Grade Level: 9th
Course: Physical science
Purpose/overview of Unit:
The purpose of this unit plan is to introduce students to the different kinds of waves. In this unit I think the key to starting off, is assessing my students prior knowledge, keeping close attention for misconception. I think that students will likely have a lot of misconceptions on this topic, mainly because I had many myself until I took an oceanography course. Fortunately, that course will serve me well through the 2 week, 10 class unit. I also think that when students realize they are surrounded by waves all day everyday, I should be able to spark some curiosity and interest in learning about this topic.
I will take students through waves by beginning with basics about waves, moving to their characteristics, and finishing with wave interacting. This way students can be warned about their misconceptions, and learn waves from the bottom up. This unit also lends itself to a wide variety of demonstrations and labs, which should provide the visually appealing, hands on work, and opportunities for inquiry lessons that will keep them interested through the entire unit.
Learning Performances and Standards:
PS3 (9-11) SAE –10 Explain the effects on wavelength and frequency as
electromagnetic waves interact with matter (e.g., light diffraction, blue sky).
Standard
10a. investigating examples of wave phenomena (e.g. ripples in water, sound waves, seismic waves).
Sub-topic:
Prior knowledge:
What is a wave?
Misconceptions:
Sound waves are transverse waves (like water and light waves)
Matter moves along with water waves as the waves move through a body of water.
Learning objectives:
Students will be able to identify what a wave’s frequency, wavelength, amplitude, and velocity.
Standard:
10b comparing and contrasting electromagnetic waves to mechanical waves.
Sub-topic:
Prior knowledge :
What is/characteristics of a mechanical wave?
What is/characteristics of an electromagnetic wave?
Misconceptions:
Sounds can travel through empty space (a vacuum).
Sounds cannot travel through liquids and solids.
Learning objectives:
Students will be able to use difference and similarities of electromagnetic waves and mechanical waves to classify a wave.
Standard:
10c qualifying the relationship between frequency and wavelength of any wave.
Sub-topics:
Prior knowledge :
What does frequency mean?
What does wavelength mean?
How are they related?
Misconceptions:
Light is associated only with a source and/or its instantaneous effects. Light is not considered to exist independently in space. Light is not conceived as moving from one point to another with a finite speed.
Light from a bulb only extends outward a certain distance and then stops. How far it extends depends on the brightness of the bulb.
Learning objectives: Students will be able to predict either frequency or wavelength of any wave when given the frequency or wavelength.
Lesson Sequence:
Lesson 1 - Introduction/ What is a wave?
Lesson 2 - Kinds of waves
Lesson 3 - Kinds of waves (cont')
Lesson 4 - Wave characteristics
Lesson 5 - Wave speed/ Doppler Effect
Lesson 6 - Pre-Lab
Lesson 7 - Lab (inquiry)
Lesson 8 - Wave behavior, reflection, diffraction, and refraction
Lesson 9 - Interference/Review
Lesson 10- Test
Assessment Plan:
I will begin the unit by assessing the students prior knowledge, with a short pre-test, that the class will go over right after taking it. I will specify formative assessment for each lesson plan in the text of each lesson plan. Students will formatively be assessed during their labs as well as with a lab report artifact to be graded with a rubric. Finally students will be tested at the end of the unit for summative assessment.
Rationale:
For this unit on waves, I will make the topic meaningful to students by pointing out the waves in everyday life. Without waves the students would not be able to see or hear anything. This should spark some interest, but I will back this up with a beach theme to make the unit seam fun. I plan on giving students lots of fun facts they can share with their families and friends on their next trip to the beach. This will motivate students to take in all they can learn about real life science, so that they can share this information with others. The students will be engaging in an inquiry lab, where they will be asked to find a way to solve a greater problem. Rather than give the students a procedure, they will be given a problem, and they will asked to think of their own procedure to solve the problem. This will foster strategic thinking on their part. Students will be assessed formatively at the very beginning to assess their prior knowledge and misconception. A short pre-quiz will be administered and the class will share-out their answers. Students will be assessed formatively durring their lab, and will create a lab report to be graded with a rubric. There will be a summative assessment, in the form of a test at the end of the unit. The unit sequence begins by dispelling misconception and building new concepts on prior knowledge. There will likely be some “un-teaching” as there are many misconception about waves, but once that is done students will start with basic smaller ideas and build onto more and more complex ideas. The use of formative assessment throughout, will ensure students are grasping the material. Students will do mini-labs and see a few demos to help them make sense of the materials. There are a number of demos for just about every vocab word in the unit. I will use these to help demonstrate an abstract idea, so that students are not only told what an idea is and how it works, but they can also see the concept to help solidify their understanding. These are also opportunities for students to realize that they might not fully understand an idea that they thought they had down, so they can then ask questions and the misconceptions can be dispelled. Each lesson has a distinct learning goal, weather it is for students to be able to define a word, or design a way to solve a problem. Each day at the being of class students will be asked to take a their ideas from yesterday, and work them in a new direction. This will encourage their thinking about the topic and make it an easy transition from day to day, and make it clear that all of the topics are related and build upon each other. Each day students will get real life examples about how waves are part of their every day lives. These may be as abstract as in the case that constructive interference can improve speaker sound quality, or as every day as in why does a siren sound different if its coming when compared to when its going. Real life application, daily hands on activities, and breif note taking sessions peppered with daily life examples will keep students interested and wanting to know more.
EDC 430 F08 Unit Plan Eval - Matt S